1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed generally to an improved projectile including a sabot and a trailing wad and, more particularly, to an improved projectile wherein the sabot is nonrotatably connected to the slug so that the sabot and the slug are rotating at substantially the same rate as the projectile travels along a rifled gun barrel.
2. Description of Prior Art
Projectiles having a sabot are known for use in shotgun barrels and other gun barrels. It is desirable that the sabot rotates as the projectile travels along the length of a rifled gun barrel in order to impart rotation to the projectile which assists in guiding the projectile to the target when the projectile exits the gun barrel.
When a projectile including a sabot travels along a rifled gun barrel, the sabot expands due to heat and pressure and the outer surface is forced into contact with rifling in the gun barrel which imparts a rotary motion to the sabot. The rotation of the sabot imparts a certain amount of rotary motion to the slug.
It is known that an increase in the weight of a slug will increase the penetration of the slug on impact, but an increase in the weight of a slug generally interferes with the trajectory because the heavier slug tends to fall off a target in a relatively shorter distance. The addition of a trailing wad to a slug improves the trajectory at distances up to approximately 150 yards. Thus, a trailing wad will increase the stability of a slug when discharged from both smooth bore and rifled gun barrels.